Wednesday, May 08, 2013

Come what May...

May has been a happening month so far.

Both in good ways and bad. But we won't discuss the bad. I am trying to be in peace with the fact that --"If things are not in my control, I better not break my head trying to control them". Is that a saying or did I just make it up ? If I made it up, that will be my first quote. Get used to my wisdom people. So what if I don't live by them.

So, first May and even April was good because we could finally tide over winter, watch buds bloom, hear birds chirp and not wear heavy jackets to dinner. One who has never worn a fur lined double layered jacket and been strapped inside an overheated car day in day out, will never know what bliss it is to not wear them.

Spring in my Backyard

I would say the month was good because of just that one single reason. Period.

But then something more exciting happened. I went to Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's reading of her newest novel, "The Oleander Girl" in the city. I am not much of a city goer but sitting on a public transit bus which was crawling at a pace less than a snail and watching the skyline outside change from a backdrop of slate grey pink to pitch dark, I had a liberating experience. Yes, I was getting painfully late but it was okay. I was going for myself alone. I had no one to answer to and no phone calls if I did not make it on time.It is rarely that I ever go anywhere for myself and very rarely is it done without a certain goal in mind. Just to risk a work day evening to travel 120 minutes for the sole purpose of listening to a favorite author ? I have never ventured that far before.

And meeting the author was worth the experience.Strangely I have never wanted to meet authors before. I love or not-love them through their books.It is their written words that conjure a image in my mind and I don't think meeting Agatha Christie or P.G.Wodehouse or Bani Basu or even Chitra Banerjee in person would alter anything.

But this time I wanted to go and I am so glad I did.I felt so enriched just by hearing her answer questions about how she writes, how she thinks in different voices and gets into the skin of the characters, about how she draws characters from mythology and her gem of an advice to new authors."Read," she said. "Read, not merely as a reader but as a writer".

OMG, and did I just say Voice ? Voice ? Two years ago the only voice I knew was that coming out from my own larynx and here I am throwing about ideas on "voice".

Then of course there is my book, of which I received my first few author copies. The afternoon I saw the familiar Harper Collins logo on a hefty cardboard box just outside the door, I panicked and went inside the house without even trying to drag in the box.
Should I just ignore it and pretend that this whole thing never happened ?
Should I just think of it as a dream and forget it ?
Should I just say "Whose darn package is this" and post it back at the return address ?

Only after 15 minutes of sweaty palms and racing heart, did I muster enough courage to tell the husband that there was a package at the porch and it might be my book. And even then I could not dare to look at the book, to leaf through its pages, to make sure that it indeed was the one I had written. Of course after the package was opened and the books glanced through, the grim reviewers in my home shared prophecies.

"There are only two color pictures. Spot Books have so many nice pictures. This is boring," said the 4 year old LS.

The 9 yr old, voracious reader, wanted to read it but I said "Later".
After a quick glance through the pages she gravely asked "But will people in US understand it?"
I remembered Chitra Banerjee's advice -- never underestimate your readers.

The husband-man(referred to in the book as H-man) said, "Your publishers are astute to have done the book in paperback".
After a scathing pause he tried to explain, "That way if something goes wrong and the need arises to hit the cook on the head out of frustration, no one will be hurt much. A Hard cover could have been far damaging".

I won't say anymore right now. Writing the book was really fun and I am really happy the way it has turned out but this now is the scary part.

The book is up on Flipkart for pre-order at a special price. So now it is your turn. Go ahead and order.

34 comments:

Am so glad that I am the first to comment on this one! I feel so proud for you today and also for myself that I am a regular reader of your blog and have my teeny tiny comments here and there.So in a way I am a prt of it too!!!

Congratulations Sandeepadi! That must have been such a proud moment for you and your family. I had to laugh really hard at your husband's comment :))Btw, can one order your book from Flipkart even if one is not in India? I would really like to get my copy ASAP...

Many congratulations, Sandeepa! It is truly an accomplishment! Hats off to your perseverance! Wondering how I can get it in the UK and I also want to send it off Down Under to my sister... Is there an eBook planned?

A heart congrats on your book. I had discovered your blog by chance a few months ago and would come back once in a while and read it. Have read your blog entries as old as 2008 or 2009.why? Because they always took me back to my childhood in kolkata, my home and those memories. all those were very simple memories, a hot afternoon, dida's and kakima's gossiping, maa working on a sweater, those simple fish meals, playing and having adda, making cha and having tele bhaaja. very simple memories but so beautifully u penned them down with their stories and recipes.i am not into cooking so much but your recipes got me feel so closer to home my kolkata, they make me so much that i want to cook this and that.the day i read your bhejetebil chop post i just wanted to make them and have them and remembered the small shop of that kaku who specialised in this and boma chop:-).i am not a bengali, but brom and brought up in kolkata, and i am just so much in love with the city the traditions.

a big thanks to you for making me reconnect with my memories , for making it all so special. i might buy the book, not much for the recipes, but for the smal stories, anecdotes that yoi might have shared, so that I one day that i might want to relive those days again i can just flip through the pages and go back in nostalgia.

Don't know Nupur. More like baby going to college and I don't know what she will be upto there and what her peers/profs/colleagues are going to say !!! I would rather pick the night feeding I think ;-)

I can totally understand you feeling after you saw the box. It's your dream come ture. Loved the simple cover. I got my first book to review today and am almost equally excited. Had the same feeling when I saw a package notice in my mail box. All the best with your book...I am sure it will be a great success.

Taholay June er wait kortay hobay to order your book which is not too far off. I am so waiting to read it. Congratulations yet again. Having read your blog for so many years now, I can tell the book will be a very interesting read. Love your style of writing. And guess what, who else reads your blog these days? Shreya. Anytime I am browsing FB and there is a post from you, she asks - "Tomar bondhu bong mom ki likhlo, aami o podbo". She has some patience and has literally sat down to read entire posts. She will usually give up where your stories end and the recipe begins telling me "Eita tumi poro". :-)

Congratulations once again. I have already ordered 5 copies of the books from flipkart for my friends and myself.As said earlier, please start preparing for Bong Mom Cookbook 2. Wish I could get your autograph on my copy.

Sandeepa, Congratulations on your book! This really looks lovely - and I am sure that it's going to be a wonderful read as well. I would love to get an autographed one for myself. Do you plan to distribute the book in the Middle East as well?

Congratulations Sandeepa..the books look so crisp and welcoming and shining bright under the sun. Im not a big reader by nature, but will definitely buy your book once its on amazon. I relate myself a lot with you when reading your blog (Im sure many US moms feel the same). - Lakshmi

Many congrats! This is my first comment here, but I read your blog regularly. I spent 3 years studying in Cal, and came across your blog in my quest for Kathi Rolls and Luchi Aloo Dum. I have since then been hooked. Not just for your recipes, but also for the way you write. You sound so much like a good friend of mine - even she had the same dry but hilarious way of saying the most profound things. I will definitely be buying your cookbook. All the best. Revathy

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Predominantly a Bong, who loves being a Mom and loves to cook among other things for the li'l one and the big ones.She loves to write too and you will find her food spiced up with stories. Mainly a collection of Bengali Recipes with other kinds thrown in, in good measure. A Snapshot of Bengali Cuisine